Take the M66 J1 and head south towards Bury. An innocuous side road, a few hundred yards off the…read moreA56, called Walmersley Old Road takes a surprisingly cobbled and twisting rise towards Nangreaves and the village of Mount Pleasant, high up on the moorland that dominates the landscape between Bury and Rochdale. The Lord Raglan stands proudly near the top of the hill at the edge of the village - an oasis in the midst of the barren, yet beguiling Lancashire moors. There is probably nothing this pub lacks. One might quibble and say - a decent jukebox or pool table, but although I would usually cite both of those as key ingredients in the Ideal Pub - the pub that bides its time, unchanging and enduring in the realm of Platonic Forms - both would be out of place in this somewhat comprehensive establishment. Essentially The Lord Raglan is a three legged dog, but as Michael Stipe once said, A three legged dog is still a dog and what a hound it is. The first leg is the restaurant, the main attraction for anyone travelling more than a few miles to this beautifully isolated outpost (although there is a very regular bus service to Bury and Manchester). Leg number two is the pub itself, nourished by leg number three - The Third Leg, if you will: Leyden Brewery, situated in the cellar beneath the pub itself. The pub is eclecticly furnished with all manner of curios including ornate thrones, the odd far eastern relic and more traditionally rural items pertaining to the world of hunting. Somehow though, none of this is overfacing and the pub treads the fine line between cosiness and clutter very steadily. It is split into three large rooms - the restaurant, the main bar area which includes a small lounge and a further main lounge which affords spectacular views towards Holcombe Hill and Ramsbottom. Sunsets to through the lounge windows to the west are often mesmerising in the summer. There is a congenial atmosphere throughout with a good ratio of locals to visitors and everyone seems happy to chat. That's not always the case in such rural establishments. The landlord and bar staff are efficient and friendly though not effusive - they leave the small talk out of it by and large. The service is of a good reliable and consistent standard, though there can often be a long wait for food - so prepare for this by arriving in plenty of time befor ethe hunger pangs become too painful. This is due to the small size of the kitchen, also situated downstairs. The restaurant serves the gamut of traditional rural pub fare with the emphasis on meat. That encompasses grills and burgers, steaks, gammon and some excellent Bury Black Pudding Tower dishes. Hot steak sandwiches and the like are also served as lighter bites with specials including bakes, fish such as Red Snapper and Thai curries adding a less usual flourishto the menu. Whatever you order, make sure it comes with a helping of Raglan Fries - they are an essential part of the Raglan Experience. Desserts are also highly recommended and come in the form of traditional staples such as sticky toffee pudding, spotted dick and apple pie. Diners are welcome in the restaurant itself or anywhere throughout the pub. My advice would be to go for a table in the one of the lounges as the ambience and mix of clientele is one of the main lures of this place. As you enter the main lounge, skirt along the bar and head up to the enormous table in the far left corner. It is surrounded by a very comfortable high backed leather couch and offers great views towards those sunsets. The pub is dog-friendly and often hosts a variety of canines, even in the main lounge. Children are also welcome although there may be a time limit on having them at the bar. In summer, the outside seating also comes into its own for such puposes, althought the beer garden in the yard to the rear could be improved with a bit of TLC. Perhaps the best reason to visit The Lord Raglan is the Leyden Brewery, the brainchild of Brendan, brother of Terry the landlord. It's a formidable micro-brewery offering a wide selection of fine ales. Four or five of those ales are usually on offer at any one time, including staples such as Raglan's Sleeve and Nanny Flyer (named after the local bus to Nangreaves) round about the 4% mark, the latter being the lighter. They range from Leyden's own wheat beers and premium style lager to Crowning Glory which approaches the sweeter style of 6% ales. Inbetween are classics such as Bury Forever (depicting the crest of Bury FC), Balaclava and Sebastopol Road and Charge of the Light Brigade. Other ales come and go and many are included in the annual (July 20th) beer festival - though it appears to me that the Raglan houses a permanent beer festival, such is the variety of choice available. Of course, they also serve the usual suspects such as lagers, Guinness and ciders on tap, but even those are accompanied by Frambozen fruit beers and white beers. The Lord Raglan is a classic

Good family pub restaurant, great food and friendly hard working staff. Will come backread more

Last night was a classic Waggon evening; friendly professional service and delicious food in a…read morewarm, tidy atmosphere. The market menu offers a decent choice of seasonal options in a very reasonable price bracket, and this occasion didn't disappoint! As always, staff were more than willing to accommodate any requests or minor alterations to the menu, and knew it inside out. My spiced lamb broth was just what the menu promised, and my steak was cooked to perfection. It was also quite evident that the chef was born with two instincts: to survive and to cook fish exquisitely! Someone else on the table had two fish courses, haddock and mackerel, and each fillet was tender, with some bold and balanced flavours. As for the drinks, I can't remember the name of the dark Belgian ale I had, but I could happily drink it indefinitely, especially when alongside the dishes I had last night. The only observation last night was that the service was slower than usual, but given how busy they were, it was by no means disproportionately so, and we didn't feel neglected or forgotten about once. Good food, good drink, good service, can't wait for my next visit!

Great night here for bf's birthday…read more We started in the downstairs pub area and bf tried some of the ale brewed in the basement, which he said was very good. The bar staff and manager were really friendly and also nice to each other, which gave an overall very positive impression of how the Clarence is run. Upstairs in the attractive restaurant area we were seated by the window and were quickly approached for our drinks order by the server who was brilliant throughout the meal. She was very pleasant and efficient and gave me helpful advice on what to order. We started with the generous-sized black pudding and leek croquettes with a pear and porter sauce which bf loved. Next up I had the roe deer and bf had strip steak. Bf extremely happy with the steak and also commented that the chips were "American standard." I ate most of his perfectly cooked greens. My own dish was really interesting - it was cooked perfectly and also featured a little pie which I was not expecting! The menu has many good points. It's varied both in type of dish and price, so you can come for a special occasion or weekday dinner. It features local elements like the Bury black pudding. It has a good range of steaks. And it has more unusual dishes like the roe deer, venison in my experience being comparatively rare on Manchester menus. Drinks-wise, we enjoyed the light Sauvignon Blanc rose and some kind of delicious port-like dessert wine which was basically like drinking raisins without the plastic aftertaste. Unfortunately we did not get to sample the cocktail bar as it is only open Fridays and Saturdays but bf says it is v nice and if you dine you can normally get in for drinks, even though it's otherwise members only (£250 a year). Will have to return for that, and also for the great-sounding Sunday lunch! Overall well worth a little excursion to Bury and a no-brainer if you're in the area. Only word of caution is that there may not be a lot of choice for vegetarians, so check menu on website before you go.

The best Sunday Roast in North Manchester!!…read more Such a lovely pub, it's hard to believe that i've lived a few miles from here all my life and have never tried it. Downstairs is a traditional pub and a few tables. I can imagine it gets very busy at the weekend. The restaurant, upstairs, is lovely and very large. After looking at the menu, it was clear that the sunday roast was going to be the winner, so i opted for the beef Sunday roast with yorkshire pudding and all the veg! We also ordered cauliflower cheese on the side as an extra. Overall i couldn't fault the meal. It was excellent and the service was impeccable too!

A close friend of mine decided to have her birthday celebration at Nutters with afternoon tea…read morebooked for eight of us. This was a 'dining experience' I'd never tried before, so was looking forward to what I imagined would be the closest I'd ever get to living upstairs in Downton Abbey. When we arrived we were directed to sit at a table in their front lounge which had its own bar to wait to be seated in the main restaurant. This area's decor looked more like a city centre wine bar than I was expecting, what with its light-coloured seating, glossy black fireplace and spotlights. And there we sat, seemingly forgotten about. After 15 minutes looking around expecting service I had to walk over to the bar to ask the barman if we could order our drinks. Not a great start. Once drinks were served it wasn't long before we were all invited to our table which was a large circular one next to some impressive stone arched windows. We ordered more drinks (a mixture of cocktails, soft drinks and of course, pots of tea) and these were followed soon afterwards by three tiered serving trays of sandwiches, pastries and scones with clotted cream and jam. Excluding all drinks except the teas, the price is £15 per person. The majority of the sandwiches were very good, with just a few where the bread had dried up a bit, so that was the only minor issue. The cakes and scones were tasty, and I struggled to restrain myself from eating more than my fair share. All in all, it was a good afternoon, but not amazing, as the initial lack of service and the price of the drinks somewhat dampened the experience. £8.50 for a simple champagne cocktail and £8 for a glass of wine was really pushing acceptability I felt. Tip: their Afternoon Tea menu is available from Tuesdays to Saturdays between 3pm and 5pm. Tip: the 'Afternoon Tea Experience' where you also get a glass of House Champagne cocktail and chilled strawberries is £22.50 per person.

From the moment you turn into the driveway leading into Nutters you know that you have arrived…read moresomewhere special. The winding driveway leads up to a beautiful old building and an ample sized car park. A member of staff greets you on arrival, takes your coat and directs you to the lounge area. Drinks orders are promptly taken whilst you look at the menu. We ordered shortly afterwards and before long we were advised that our table was ready. The waiter showing us to our table also carried out drinks through for us. On arrival at our table we were also offered some iced water. A selection of freshly baked bread was brought. For a starter I had parsnip soup, which could have been really bland, and whilst I did need to add some seasoning it was delicious. My main course was the Limousin of Beef which was served with Yorkshire pudding roast potatoes and veg. It was perfectly cooked and probably the most delicious beef I've ever tasted. My dining partner had the seabass which was served with noodles and was also amazingly delicious. For dessert there were only 2 choices. Either a selection of desserts or a selection of cheeses. I had the cheese and my dining partner had the selection of desserts. The waitress who brought them described each one. The cheeses were arranged according to strength getting stronger as you made your way clockwise around the plate. To finish off we had a cafetière between us. The food was amazing. The service was faultless. The venue has a lovely relaxed ambience. Full marks!! If anything could be done differently, and I'm really having to nitpick here, I'd prefer the same waiter throughout my meal as we were served by many different people, but this isn't a big issue at all.

Ah well, here we go again.The Bridge Inn has re-opened again; again; again. It's like Groundhog…read moreDay! Still short on customers and still high on riff-raff and too-expensive drinks. Shame 'cos this ought to be a good pub. One day.. The day has come! Prices are down, the pub has been done up, the riff-raff appear to be staying away and the new management are trying so hard to make sure you can have a great night out. Fingers crossed.

I passed this stunning little place whilst traveling up to haslingdon I was driving over the tops…read morecause the views up here are wonderful but having come across this shop I stopped because one I was starving and two because it looks fantastic outside all black and white an very modern I pulled up in a car park which has ample spaces for plenty of cars which is fantastic because its so hard normally to park near food places I was greeted my the owner which I now know is Dave marsh who has recently just got it back and running it with his wife daughter and sonDave is well known for his famous fish & chips all around rochdale this was the first time I had met him in person but have heard that he does the best fish around rochdale and believe me when I ordered my fish & chips I was not disappointed this was indeed the best fish & chips I had tasted around for miles I love my food but couldn't finish this huge meal you need to try for yourself to see how good it really is you can sit in or take out there's even seating outside if you want to enjoy the sunshine all in all I give this shop a ten out of ten for food service and stunning decor and will be coming again

Great little pub in the middle of knowhere up a "bumpy lane" called Thornham lane near Tandle Hill…read morePark. I was in there on Friday 2nd October and they have a brand new menu which is Lancashire Tapas. Food ranging between £1 and £3. Things like rag pudding, hot pot, fish and chips, white bait, black pudding and yes you guessed it bumpy lane pie all in tapas size portions. Tremendous....although we did get carried away and ordered far too much. I would reccommend 2 people share 3 starters and 5 mains or 5 staters 4 mains + side dish of chips and veg. Well worth a visit. This pub is dog friendly but beware resident cat "snug" is first in the pecking order for all those leftovers.

Great little pub almost in the middle of nowhere up a little rough road track called Thornham lane,…read moreI was in there a few weeks ago and they have a brand new menu which is Lancashire Tapas. Food ranging between £1 and £3...how inspired! Things like rag pudding, hot pot, fish and chips, white bait, black pudding and yes you guessed it bumpy lane pie all in tapas size portions, it was a first for me to sample rustic real northern cuisine all in one go! Although we did get carried away and ordered far too much, but at these prices who cares. The food was seriously good for what it is, and I will recommend making the little trip (and probably getting lost like I did) to hunt down this quaint little gem.

TL;DR - Still cool, great food and vibes... but service can be slow…read more Came here to enjoy the last day of Eat Out to Help Out. Social distancing is nicely employed - there's a hatch outside for takeaway, and outdoor seating to wait for a table. We sat for about 10 minutes before being invited in. There's a brunch menu at weekends but on a Monday the main offer was pizzas. And they were really, really good... we both had the Pepe Braddock which features n'duja, caramelised onions and roast peppers. The topping on this pizza was absolutely fabulous. We also enjoyed a draught IPA which was nice if pricy (£4.50 a pint). The interior is just as cool as it always was. And they're dog friendly too so you get to watch some adorable four legged friends whilst you're here. The downside though, and the thing stopping a 5* review is that the service was sloooow. We ordered two pizzas, and had to wait about 50 minutes for them. It was reasonably busy whilst we were there but not packed. We'd actually come here because at Folk next door they said it would be an hour's wait for food. If we'd been on a lunch break from work we'd have been in trouble!

I came to Cuckoo on a Saturday afternoon to try out their pizzas. Upon entering i instantly liked…read morethe place. It's small and compact and has only a few tables, although i believe there are some more tables and an extra seating area downstairs. We waited at the door for a minute or so, then figured it must be a 'choose a table and order at the bar' type of place because nobody approached us, so we sat at a small table at the top of the stairs. The menu is decent, split out between 'red' and 'white' pizzas - some vegetarian options too. They're all reasonably priced at around £5 - £6.50 and when they arrived they were also reasonably sized. I ordered the margherita, as i believe this how you determine a very good pizza. It was OK. The oven could have been a little hotter, as the base didn't cook completely to the edges and didn't achieve much 'lepoarding' as you expect with usual sourdough wood oven type pizzas. There was also, maybe, a little too much cheese on there and the dough had an excess amount of flour on it, which i had to wipe off to make the crusts edible. For Prestwich, this place is great. But living in MCR and being a regular* at Honest Crust and Rudy's Pizza, this place just isn't that good. The cocktail menu looks great. *more than regular ;)

Cafe L'Etage is an adorable little cafe serving home made food in a room upstairs at the further…read moreend of the Rock. Come here if you like your cafes to look like an old fashioned country kitchen complete with cute tablecloths and teapots high up on the shelves. The menu has some 'French twists' as they like to call it and there is that air of simple elegance that you get in real French cafe's but the majority of the food and drink here is comfortably British. No exotic surprises to put people off. Soups, salads and tasty desserts - mainly light and food to peck at. They have a fun, fairly mellow soundtrack to the various conversations going on here which only adds to the charm. Pop in with some friends to get in out of the cold and feel like you are escaping to another world where everything is cheery, pretty and just-so.

enjoyed lunch a crepe, filled with mushrooms and prawns for me; broccoli soup, and ham sandwich…read morefor her. Very tasty however, there were no prawns in mine, just mushrooms. The proprietor adjusted the price but had the waitress asked if everything was acceptable they could have replaced the food. Nevertheless we were well satisfied and will go back.

Located inside the Victoria Hotel chaddertotn is a restaurant called Mr Brown's, which is a…read morelittle gem we arrived & Was told by the waitress we would receive a free bottle of Procecco with 2 Mains the offer of the week I am easily pleased..We ordered the steaks , Which came with chunky chips & Huge onion rings.. Finished this fab meal with delicious cocktails.

This is the best traditional afternoon tea I have ever had. You get to choose the three sandwiches…read moreyou want and they come on sub rolls. You get a selection of cakes which are delicious. You have a choice between tea and coffee and if you choose tea there is a great selection of loose leaf tea and you can try as many as you like.The staff are really friendly and the the place is lovely.